The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos – 2015) A

There is good news and bad news if you do not find a person to marry within 45 days in this world. The bad news is that you will be transformed into an animal. The good news? Well, you can choose what animal you want to be. See it’s very important to belong and find a mate in Lanthimos’ weird, brutal and sometimes funny film. It’s also important to find someone with whom you have something in common like being short-sighted or that both you and your prospective mate get occasional nose bleeds. If that sounds too bizarre, it is and we have just scratched the surface! It’s also like no other movie with its tone and plot. The film gets darker as the story of David (Colin Farrell) and his search for a partner at the “hotel” progresses. It’s not a film that will work for everyone but it is a unique vision. It’s very well-realized, deliberately and confidently directed and the actors all do a very good job. It lacks love and compassion in most of its run time so when we actually see glimpses of those emotions they are a welcome relief until reality sets in and the film gets to its inevitable bleak conclusion.